Tag: ice cream

Ice cream. Who wants ice cream? Who doesn’t love ice cream? Well there are a few of you out there who don’t consume 23 pounds of ice cream per year. Even though ice cream doesn’t love me, I do still love it. I wish it wasn’t a one-way relationship. So what is the real scoop on ice cream – can you indulge in it and eat healthier at the same time? Is there such a thing as healthy ice cream?

What makes ice cream so loveable?

Smooth, creamy ice cream tastes so delicious, especially in the hot dog days of summer, but really any time of year. It comes in 1,000 different flavors according to one article, but I think our options are limitless.

Ice cream evolved from other frozen desserts, including a treat resembling today’s sherbet. According to this article, ice cream was born in the 16th century and the first flavor was not vanilla, but of fruit and nut persuasion. In 2015, U.S. companies made more than 898 million gallons of regular ice cream, which is the most popular category of frozen dessert, not surprisingly (International Dairy Foods Association).

The basic ingredients for ice cream include milk, cream and sugar. Some recipes call for eggs or egg yolks, vanilla or salt. And of course, you can go crazy after that, adding your flavors of choice.

But today’s packaged ice cream often contains so many other ingredients that aren’t good for you, and don’t necessarily even add to the deliciousness of this originally simple treat.

At first, we start with the basic ingredients for a popular vanilla brand. Not too shabby.

Then we add a few other ingredients. Not as good.

Start adding simple flavors, such as chocolate, and it goes downhill quickly.

When shopping for ice cream, look for the brands with minimal ingredients and without corn syrup (high or low fructose). Also avoid all artificial sweeteners including Splenda and aspartame. If you can’t pronounce any ingredients, just avoid it.

Meanwhile, when wanting to make ice cream into an outing, do a little research to find out what that local shop uses in its ice cream. Make your outing a chance to support local producers who use wholesome, non-GMO ingredients.

Ice cream intolerance…does healthy ice cream exist?

Where there is a will, there is a way. If ice cream causes tummy troubles, headaches or skin issues, you’ll have to do some extra homework.

Experiment with different brands. Start by choosing ones without corn syrup and other unhealthy ingredients.

If you’re dairy intolerant, try a coconut or rice milk version of ice cream. Still be sure to check for other not-so-good ingredients.

Better yet, have some fun and make your own healthy ice cream. It doesn’t have to be difficult. You’ll know exactly what it’s made of. And you can even get some healthy ingredients from it.

So here’s the fun stuff. I’ve made the banana ice cream recipe below. The kids and husband loved it.

Experiment with these and report back with your opinions. No ice cream maker needed! It’s summertime, hot and sticky – the perfect time for ice cream done easily!

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“A fun, accessible and no-nonsense approach to adopting healthier food choice habits. I have now read and re-read this book at least 5 times. Each time, I find something new to share with my patients.”